In February I welcomed my Green Party colleague, the Minister, Deputy Roderic O'Gorman, to Portlaoise to unveil a powerful Pride mural on Lyster Square to mark one year of the midlands LGBT+ project. After the Laois launch in summer 2021, Midlands LGBT+ Project identified the huge need for similar support for people in Offaly, Kildare and beyond. In response to this the group has expanded its services to Offaly and at the weekend arrived with a splash of colour at its launch event in Tullamore. I was lucky enough to attend. Its mission is to reduce isolation for adult LGBT+ persons living in the midlands. It runs a number of virtual and in-person peer support groups such as its Laois social group, Trans Midlands and Queer Book Club, as well as many LGBT+ events throughout the year. It also provides training to businesses and community groups and delivers school workshops. While we are lucky to have organisations such as Midlands LGBT+ in Laois and Offaly, nobody should experience isolation because of how they identify. Yet tragic and violent events in Dublin and Sligo recently tell us that we still have a lot left to do.

Hear, hear.

Members of the LGBT+ community have the right to feel safe and be safe in their homes, on our streets and online. Research by the Hate and Hostility Research Group, HHRG, at University of Limerick, identified that one in five of those surveyed had been punched, hit or physically attacked in public for being LGBT+ and one in three had been threatened with physical violence. We must change this now. It is for all of society to deal with. I am grateful that Councillor Mark Hackett is pursuing the issue of gender-based violence at council level in Offaly and is doing this through the joint policing committee. I wish that sub-group all the best with its important work.

It is 2022 and Ireland still does not have hate crime legislation. The law on incitement to hatred dates back to 33 years ago. Thankfully legislation is on its way to change this. Hate crimes are message crimes intended to target entire communities. Victims are targeted because of what they represent and the impact of hate crimes goes beyond the single person. Their whole community is affected as well as our wider society. We as policymakers, as communities, as families and as individuals can play our part in solutions too. So if we see homophobia and transphobia in society, we must call it out. Never sit idly by. Never be silent. If you know someone who is experiencing homophobia or transphobia encourage and support them to report hate incidents to LGBT Ireland and to the Garda. This behaviour cannot be tolerated or normalised. We must stand in power together, we must stand in pride.

Well said.